Album Review — Skillet

Skillet — Victorious

Skillet is back with a new album, “Victorious”, released on August 2. The band has been around a long time and has gone through many lineup changes. The one constant has been lead vocalist/bass player John Cooper. They have slowly built up a following and hit the big time the last 3–4 albums.

The band has tweaked their sound many times, following the trends. They sounded a bit like Nine Inch Nails in the late 90s, then went a little heavier in the early 2000s. I would say their current sound is closest to a band like Shinedown.

“Victorious” has a Game of Thrones feel about it from first sight. The cover has a bearded Cooper holding a shield with the Skillet logo on it, and there’s lot of mention of kingdoms and fighting in the lyrics. Combine that with quite a few songs that you might hear leading up to a football game and that’s the general idea of the album.

“Legendary” starts off the record and has that big anthemic feel to it. We hear drummer Jen Ledger’s vocals throughout the song. The band does a good job of using her higher voice to accent Cooper’s lower register.

The title track is one of the better songs on the record. It has a similar sound to my favorite Skillet song, “Forgiven” off of Awake. Again, Ledger’s vocal accents really drive the song. The band doesn’t hide their Christian faith, but they do a good job of using imagery without sounding preachy.

“This is the Kingdom” is the one spot on the record that bothers me. It’s basically a direct copy of Imagine Dragons in the verses. The bridge and chorus change it up a bit and sounds more like them and I actually like the song, but it’s too similar for my liking.

“Terrify The Dark” is another album highlight. It’s not a ballad but it’s a little slower. They are at their best with songs that build and build and grab you. Again, Ledger’s vocals take the song to new heights. It’s just a great song.

“Anchor” is the other slower song and although not as strong as “Terrify The Dark”, it’s a very good track in its own right.

The rest of the album is very good. Mostly heavier tracks, similar in style to the last few records.

I’ve enjoyed listening the “Victorious” this week. The album is very solid with a few tracks that really stand out. The band walks that fine line of sounding like other bands and from time to time may cross it. But overall, this is a good batch of songs with a couple that really stand out. If you liked the last couple of Skillet records I think you will like this one. And if you haven’t heard them but like bands like Shinedown, it would be worth you while to give this one a listen.

90 out of 100

Track Listing

1.Legendary *
2.You Ain’t Ready
3.Victorious *
4.This Is the Kingdom
5.Save Me
6.Rise Up
7.Terrify the Dark *
8.Never Going Back
9.Reach *
10.Anchor
11.Finish Line
12.Back to Life *

*Best Songs